Table



Feb. 3, 1931. w GR|F|TH 1,790,808

. TABLE AND READING ATTACHMENT FOR WHEEL CHAIRS Filed Jan. 2a. 1928 INVENTOR H. w: GrQfLf/h' BY 8% am Y together as may be desired.-

PatenteclFeh. 3, 1931 HURwoon w. GR FF TH, or GEYSERVILLE, cALIFoRNIA TABLE nND READING nrrAcrzMnivr ron wrrnnn creams Application filed January-28, 1928. Serial No. 2 50,107.

Thisinvention relates to attachments for invalids chairs, my principal objectbeing to provide a tableand reading rack which maybe easily and detachably. applied to a wheel chair so thattheoccupant may con.-

veniently. use thetable or may read while comfortably seated in any position without having to use his arms tosupportthe reading matter or sitting in a'strained and uncomfor-table position.

A further object of the invention isto provide means for supporting the table and rack from thechair in such a manner that these attachments may be. readily removed when desired to remove the-patient from the chair or vice versa, and the table when in position isso firmly supported asito enable the patient to lean forwardly so that allhis weight is supported by the table if desired. The table is also supported at such a height that a deep cushion may hensed inthe chair, thus not only adding to the comfort ofvthe occupant but permitting him to'be easily rolled from a bed onto the. chair-and-vice versa if desired, and when the attachment is temporarily removed. s

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for independently supporting the table and rack so that either one may be used independently of: the other, (or both A further object of the invention is to' pro. duce a simple. and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose'for which'it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement 'of' parts as will fully appear by a perusal'of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in the several views Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a wheel chairshowing my improved attachment applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross section of the reading rack unit.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the table and one of its supporting members.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a chair-arm attachment for supporting the and reading rack! Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a one-piece chair-armfiand table supporting block. 4 Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numerall denotes the seat frame of aistand ard Wheel chair, having horizontalside arms 2 above the' seat'and' a back 3which maybe I raised and lowered to different angular positions as usual. 1 1 i 1 V r 5 The supporting elements for'my attachments comprisea. pair .of horizontalblocks 4 which are attached to rest on and extend lengthwise of the arms 2 -from the back forwardly a certain distance; Dowel pins 5 project downwardly'fro'm the blocks'iat longitudinally spaced intervals to detachably fit into thesockets drilled in the chair arms. 1 Hooksfion the sidesof ,theblocks detachably cooperate, with catches 7 secured tothe arms so as to prevent too ready'removal of the blocks. j Deep slots 8' are cut into the blocks at'their forward ends and intermediate thetop and bottom surfaces thereof "to slidably receive tongues 9 formed-on the adjacent'ends of the side frames 10 of a table member 11,'the adj acent end of the table also projecting into the slots. Thetable member itself inwardly of vthe/blocks projects slightlybeyond the inner.

ends of the slots as shown in Fig. '3,so as to prevent-lateral shifting of the table when in place; The table frame, ahead of the'blocks, is supported onthe arms 2. I

. The blocks and table are provided with a series of longitudinally spaced holes 12 are ranged as transversely alined and equally spaced pairs to detachably receive the lower ends'of posts 13. The upper ends ofthese posts are formed with flat bosses 14 to'cooperate with similar bosses 15 formed on the lower ends of rigid, straps 16. Bolts "17 extending through the cooperating pairs.ofbosses form pivots or hinges for the same, Wing-nuts 18 on the bolts being employed to enable'theb'osses to be frictionally clamped againsteach other in any;.positi0n. The bosses 14 are provided with-outwardly. projecting lugs 19 to engage" the straps and limit the relative rotative and a plurality of vertically spaced cross rails 21 from the lower one of which a ri id hori- "zontal ledge 22 projects toward the backof the chair. Hinged onto this ledge to project outwardly therefrom or to be folded on to the same is anapron or flap 23, thus making a wider shelf possible when desired. v

Projecting from the back of thelower rail and the one next above and. secured thereto level with the topsof the rails are blocks 24-. Pivoted on each block and normally projecting forwardly over the corresponding rail is a pair of flat links 25, the outer ends of which are pivoted on a shelf 2501.. When the links project forwardly, the shelf is a sufficient distance in front of the rack-frame toform a substantial support for any desired reading matter. Upon movin either shelf laterally it folds back .onto the links and block and rests out of the way of reading matter supported on a lower shelf. The block has an -5- upstanding flange 24a along itsback-edge, to

limit the folding movement of theishelf and prevent backward slipping of any reading matter supported :by the shelf.

Horizontal elastic bands26 extend between and are connected to the side rails'20 above the slides, and a similar diagonal band 27 traverses the distance between the opposite ends of the bands 26.

By reason of the numerous folding shelves a book or other reading matter may be disposed at any level convenient to the occupant of the chair, the elastic bands passing in front of the reading matter and preventing the same from falling or turning. On account of the pivoted mounting of the rack, itmay be disposed at any reading angle to suit the personal taste and convenience of the user. The adjustment of the rack to various positions to and from the back of the chair enables therack to be placed at different distances from the reader as may bemost suitable for his eye sight.

The'rack being removable independently of the table or vice versa enables either attachment to be used separately from the other, or both together as may lee-desired. The height of the table andthe auxilia-ry arms formed by the blocks 4; relative to the level of the seat of the chair, enables a deep cushion 28 being placed in the seat. Therefore, when the back 3 is moved to amore sloping position (a movement which as usual causes the arms 2 to be lowered) said arms are brought to about a level with the top cushion enabling the patient to be easily rolled onto the chair from a bed. Since the attachments are supported fromthe arms of the chair, the rack and table are fully as wide as the frame of the chair itself, and the occupant is not therefore obstructed in his sidewise movements in the chair any more than he is when the attachments are removed.

The'spaces between the rails of the rack form windows so that the view of the occupant of the chair is obstructed but little.

, The chair arm andtable and rack-supporting block may if desired be made as a v onespiece non-detachable unit, as shown at 2a and larespectively in Fig. 5.

the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction .of the device, still-in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not-form a departure fromflthe spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims;

Having thus described myinvention-what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.- An attachment for a chair having side arms, comprising horizontal blocks to'rest on and be-detachably supported only on the rear portions of the arms, a table to straddle the chair and rest on the arms ahead of the blocks,.the forward ends of said blocks having "longitudinal slots cut therein, and tongues provided with thetable for detachable engagement with the -slots and arranged to prevent transverse movement of the table.

2. An attachment for a chair having side arms, comprising horizontal blocks to rest on and be detachably supported only on the rear portions of the arms, a table to straddle the chair, and side frames depending from the table to rest on the arms ahead of the blocks,

the rear'portions oflthe table and frames being cut to form tongues detachably fitting into longitudinal slot-s cut in the forward ends of the blocks. r I

'3. An attachment for a chair comprising a table adapted to be detachabl-y supported on the chair and rack-supporting posts projecting np-wardlyfromthe table and detachably fitting into any pair of opposed longitudinally spaced socketsprovided in the table ad jacent the side edges thereof.

l. An attachment for a chair having side arms, comprising horizontal blocksto rest on and be'dctachably secured .to the arms, a table arranged for detachable connection with the forward ends of the blocks, and rack supporting elements projecting upwardly from the table and adapted to detachably fit any pair of opposed sockets provided along the blocks and alined portions of the table. 7 I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HURlYOQD W. GRIFFITH. 

